TRAPPING OPOSSUMS
UPPER HUTT CASES'
TWO MEN CONVICTED
Two cases concerning the trapping of opossums were heard at the Upper Hutt Court by Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M., yesterday. Albert Francis Cooper was charged with unlawfully having opossum skins in his possession. Mr. P. W. Willson, ranger for the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, said that the' opossum trapping season opened on .July 1; and Cooper was found with opossum skins in his possession on June 16. The defendant was engaged in work on ' the Eimutaka Road during the day, and sot traps by night, getting in this manner seven opossums. Cooper pleaded guilty, and Mr, Willson. said he would not press for a heavy penalty. Cooper had now taken out a licence, and had been successful in getting about 150 skins. When a conviction was obtained in these cases the fine could be heavy one, and ranged from £_2 to £50, the latter fine having been imposed in several bad cases. Cooper was convicted and fined £1 and costs. • . A charge of unlawfully taking and killing opossums without a licence was made against Albert John Duske, on whose behalf Mr. P. K. Bryan entered a plea of guilty. It wa3 stated that Duske was trapping with a man nanied Barber, and sent into Wellington; one hundred skins for sale. Barber had a licence, and Duske had a permit which, it was found, was issued by the "Wellington City Council subject to a licence being taken out, but this Duske did not do. Since then Duske. had taken out a.licence.. Mr. Willson said that he thought this case was one of ignorance on the part of Duske. On a conviction being registered, the skins were forfeited to the Crown, and it was a serious matter for a man to lose half of the skins at least. The skins were valued at about 5s each. He would make a recommendation that the skins be returned to their original owner, and he thought the Minister would accept the recommendation. Several cases had come under his notice, said Mr. Willson, of men trapping opossums and only one having a licence. The Magistrate said the case was one of ignorance on the part of Duske, and he was convicted and fined £1 and costs. Ten days were allowed in which to pay the fine. I
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19330810.2.29
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 35, 10 August 1933, Page 5
Word Count
389
TRAPPING OPOSSUMS
Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 35, 10 August 1933, Page 5
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